Hi guys!

I work at an office, and they requested that I take headshots at our holiday party. I have a camera, but have no idea how to take headshots. Are there any tips, videos, blogs, websites, etc. that you would recommend? I also have no lighting to use and am hoping that the natural lighting is good on the day of the event.

Thank you!

  • OnePhotog@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    It sounds like you are going to get set up for disappointment. Headshots should be consistent for everyone at the office. But …

    At a party, people are getting progressively more drunk.
    The indoor office lighting is rarely flattering.
    Natural lighting (assuming it is during the day) is always changing adding additional challenges to keep one head shot the same as the next.

    There is a YouTube channel with a good guide on “the Slanted Lens”. There are many more guides on YouTube for you to get the information you need.

  • jishjash@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I also have no lighting to use and am hoping that the natural lighting is good on the day of the event

    Oh man, prayers for you. This is not the way haha

  • Bodhrans-Not-Bombs@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’ve done natural light headshots that I liked, but I got to specify the location and exact time I wanted, in a place I knew the lighting. You’ll have none of this.

    Conversely, if they’ll pay you, rent two octaboxes or bounce umbrellas and a couple speedlights.

  • EamesEra@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    set up a camera on a tripod, and you need lighting it’s just a fact. that lighting could be from two lamps as long as they’re consistent and behind the person with a softer light on their face.

    you can work that out in any number of ways, it’s best to have a seat or chair set up and light the background, then the subject and meter for their face.

    headshots would be about shoulders and up so a 50mm with bokeh would be great, you want to treat it like picture day at school, if the settings and lighting are kept the same then you can just hit the shutter button and funnel them in and out. I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you have a controlled light source and a space where the background won’t be changing constantly.

  • bradleysballs@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I repeat the sentiments of most of the others in this thread. Do not take the headshots. It is a slippery slope, and the headshots will probably not be as good as either you or they want them to be. Just explain that you don’t have experience doing this and are not properly equipped for the task. Plus, it’s the holiday party. You’re there to freaking party

  • da4@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    A few jobs ago, I ended up shooting a few hundred headshots. I have a decent Canon (7D) and the agency had some L glass, quality lights and a backdrop, but I had never shot indoor strobe portraiture before. Learned a few things:

    - give yourself time to set up and bring someone you trust (or an intern) to get your settings dialed in.

    - shoot tethered, if possible, and have an external monitor so that your coworkers can decide for themselves if something looks good or not.

    - take it easy, stay relaxed, make it fun. lots of folks hate this sort of idea when dictated by an employer; if you’re relaxed, cracking jokes, offering suggestions, you can make them relax - and you might get them to actually decide they liked a photo of themselves.

    There are still a couple of my former coworkers using my headshots on their LinkedIn profiles, and I have always felt some pride at that.

  • tampawn@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    It will be easy

    1.Shoot them outside during the day before the party. Assign someone to line them up.

    1. Find a wall for the background under cover but facing out toward the the bright sky.

    2. Have each person stand at an angle to you and turn their head to face you. They should not back up to the wall…have them stand a foot from the wall. There has to be no direct sun on each person.

    3. Your camera should NOT be on Auto ISO. Try ISO 100 first then go higher if its too dark.

    4. Take the photos in Program mode. Focus mode should be AF-S or Single. Aim at the eyes. Take the picture look at it, and adjust until it looks right.

    Rinse and repeat…

    If you do this before the party to practice and to check your settings, you just might have some nice results. They don’t expect much…it didn’t cost them a thing. So blow them away with the shots.

    Thing is, if they’re good you’ll probably have to do it again and again…

  • mahava@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Never do extra work for no pay

    That’s a capitalism lesson, not a photography one

    • ToSeeOrNotToBe@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Never do extra work for no pay

      Not all pay comes in dollars. That’s a business lesson, not a capitalism one.

      Still think this particular job sounds like a bad deal, though.

      • mahava@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        That’s very true, however I feel like in this situation specifically there isn’t anything else being offered as extra compensation…

        I see you said this sounds like a bad deal, I missed that part, my bad!

  • enjoythepain@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Yeah no, don’t do this. Anyone offering you advice is coming from a “if i was there I could do it” mentality but the reality is that you’re being forced to learn how to do something with no training and no equipment in a short amount of time. You do a good job and now you’re the camera guy. You do a bad job and everyone will remember you for it.

    The only way to win is to not play.

  • JerougeProductions@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    This sounds like clusterfuck waiting to happen. Headshots at a party? Who’s going to be suited for what I assume to be a professional headshot. They are setting you up for failure by not just ponying up the money for a professional photographer. Not saying you couldn’t learn how to do the job, but on so short notice, with your lack of experience and equipment, it’ll end up with subpar results.

    • ToSeeOrNotToBe@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      undisputed

      Ummm…

      I mean, his stuff is great, no doubt. But the king? He specializes in a very consistent, very repeatable, very marketable look (with a whole lot of hype). It’s a greaet business plan and he implements is extremely well.

      And that means he doesn’t tailor his teaching so students learn to create images uniquely suited to the client’s uses, or even to their industry. For the most part–and by design–the images create by the Headshot Crew all look the same.

      And most of them have alien-eye triangle catchlights that not everyone appreciates because they don’t look natural.

      I follow him. He does great work. But “undisputed” all-caps “KING” might be a little bit strong for people outside of his cult.